This invention generally concerns offshore platforms used in drilling for and producing oil and gas. More particularly, the invention concerns the erection of such platforms utilizing integrated decks.
One of the large costs and time delays involved in the installation of conventional offshore platforms results from the extensive offshore work that is required to place a modular deck onto a fixed substructure. Integrated, or single-piece, decks as used on gravity structures have the potential to save considerable time, weight and expense. However, they are difficult or impossible to use on most piled structures that are secured to the sea floor using driven piles. This is particularly true in harsh environments where installation seasons are very short.